


And yet

by Slicki



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: F/F, momo has feelings and thinks things and gets the girl, this is basically a character study for an au i wrote
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-24
Updated: 2018-10-24
Packaged: 2019-08-06 16:16:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16391021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Slicki/pseuds/Slicki
Summary: Hirai Momo was having a bad day.Hirai Momo would have many more bad days.But right now she just wanted the girl she had a crush on to stop talking about Jeongyeon.Or: Hirai Momo and the Case of the Neverending Crush on Myoui Mina





	And yet

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is a companion piece to a social media au I posted on twitter (@2yeonaus if you want it). Overall, I think it can still work as a standalone piece, though hopefully folks who have read the au find some scenes familiar. 
> 
> And to the anon that prompted this in my cc: I hate you. Also, I love you and you're wonderful.
> 
> Also, I'm the only one who proofread this, so apologies in advance for any mistakes/random swapping of tenses.
> 
> Enjoy!

**_November 1, 2016 at 12:12 pm, JYP High Cafeteria: The Table Closest to the Door_**  
  
Hirai Momo is not having a good day.  
  
Granted, she got an A+ on her history test and she gets to have the dance rehearsal space to herself after school. Also, Sana had promised to give Momo her ice cream at lunch today (she will never understand why that girl doesn't like school ice cream, something about "low quality product" or whatever, but Momo couldn't care less.).

She had even gotten to spend some alone time with her crush during lunch. A fact that had excited her when she first realized that their other friends weren’t going to be on time. Mina had greeted her with a smile that made Momo’s feet feel like they weren’t quite touching the ground. And yet. Bad day.  
  
"-and her haircut just looks so good on her! I always find it admirable when people can pull off different types of hairstyles. Do you think it would be weird if I said something about it tomorrow at the game? I don't want to be –"

Momo wished she could have a crush on someone that wasn’t Mina. Anyone would be better. Anyone would be better than the girl who regularly packed extra food because she knew Momo always forgot an after-practice snack. The girl who sang so sweetly that sometimes Momo’s teeth hurt. She desperately wished to crush on someone else.

And yet

“She had this amazing crossover during the last minute of the third quarter. It went right through the defender’s legs, Momo! The crowd cheered so loudly. Oh and in the fourth quarter she was taking a foul shot, and before she did she looked right at me and smiled. I think that mig–”  
Here she was. Listening to the girl in charge of her heart gush about another girl. Said girl who happened to be sitting about 20 feet away, engaged in what appeared to be a very intense game of utensil fencing with a friend, her newly trimmed hair falling across her eyes in a way Momo might find attractive if she wasn't the currently the bane of her existence.  
  
Momo supposed she couldn’t really complain about her chemistry partner on a personal level. Jeongyeon was... fine. She loathed chemistry with a deep passion, and Jeongyeon seemed to grasp the subject with ease. She knew her grade was at least 15 points higher than it would be if she was doing it by herself. She just wished her whiz of a chemistry partner and the girl Mina had been crushing on for 2 months weren't the same person.

“Even Nayeon agreed that she had an amazing game, and you know that getting her to say anything nice about Jeongyeon is nigh impossible. I’m amazed she even listens to me talk about her, but Nayeon is a pretty good listener. The girls were talking after the game and –”  
  
She felt herself responding to Mina, chuckling, smiling, and nodding in all the right places. At the same time, she could feel her fingers digging into her thighs, the pressure increasing with each flattery of Jeongyeon that spilled from Mina's lips. She wanted so badly to be the best friend Mina deserved, to support her with unconditional love and affection.

And yet.  
  
She prayed for any sort of distraction. A fire drill. A flash mob. The principal expelling her for a crime she didn't commit. Jihyo scolding her for forgetting a pencil. Anything.  
  
Her prayers were answered, as they usually were, by Sana swooping in to save the day. The clatter of her tray hitting the table was enough to cut off Mina’s gushing, and Momo found herself wondering the same thing she did every time Sana showed up when Mina was talking about her infatuation: She didn’t know if it was a blessing or a curse that Mina refused to tell Sana.  
  
On one hand, Momo had to suffer in silence. On the other, she was spared the pitying glances she knew Sana would send her way.

On the other-other hand, there was a 97% chance Sana would do her damndest to make sure that Mina was never in the same room as Jeongyeon ever again, and, most critically, Nayeon would help. And Jihyo would inevitably find out and things would spiral very quickly.  
  
“Hey cuties! Did I miss anything fun,” Sana questioned, giving Momo a sly glance.

The look on Mina’s face was one of pure terror at almost being caught, and if Momo hadn’t been busy trying to keep her heart from cracking further, she’d find it hilarious.

“Ah, not really,” Momo managed to reply, swiping Sana’s ice cream with a slightly wooden grin. “Mitang was just telling me about the new routines they’re working on for cheer. Apparently the captain is kind of a butthead this year.”

“What,” Sana exclaimed, whipping her head around to face Mina, “I thought she was being nicer! Do you need backup? Is she not letting you shine? I know you’re just a freshman, but seriously, you have talent!”

As Mina fervently denied the need for Sana to storm up to the cheer captain, Momo took a second to breathe a mental sigh of relief. Another day down. Now she could just focus on the good things for today. The worst had passed.

As she opened her mouth to throw in a comment about the cheer team’s choice of music, she heard Jeongyeon shout triumphantly from behind her and watched as Mina’s eyes flickered to a point over her shoulder. By the softening of her eyes, Momo knew exactly who she was looking at.

She also knew that she should just let her crush go. The end of Mina’s crush on Jeongyeon was nowhere in sight, and the sooner she started healing the sooner she could be the best friend Mina deserved.

It was time to get over Myoui Mina.

Mina made eye contact with Momo as she returned her focus to their table and shot her a smile, the kind that made her eyes crinkle and her nose scrunch up, drawing Momo’s attention to the birthmark above her lip. Which of course drew her attention to Mina’s lips and, and,

And yet.

**_November 23, 2016 at 5:05 pm, JYP High Chemistry Lab 4: Lab Bench #2_ **

“So that’s why we only have to add a super small amount of sodium to the water to see the reaction. That outer shell electron is ready to jump the hell out and cause a mini explosion,” Jeongyeon explained excitedly, moving around Momo as she set up the experiment. “I know you don’t really like chemistry, but I think you’d have fun dropping the sodium in.”

“You sure you want me doing this? I don’t know how well electrons and I mix,” Momo responded, flipping open her lab book to the required page.

“I mean, it’s only dropping stuff into a cup. I’ve seen you pull off dance moves that required buckets of coordination. This is definitely on your level.”

“You’ve seen me dance?”

“Of course. Assemblies. Walking by the dance room after practice. Videos Jihyo has shown me while beaming like a stage mom.”

“Oh. Well, thanks.”

“No problemo,” Jeongyeon answered as she stepped back from the beakers. “Also, this experiment is good to go! You might want to put down the chips, though.”

Jeongyeon smiled as she stepped towards Momo, hands outstretched in an offer to hold her after-school snack. And of course, Momo thought of Mina. Thought of how just yesterday Mina had gone on for 30 minutes about how the buzzer shot that Jeongyeon had made was so great, how she looked even more attractive after spending nearly 2 hours running up and down the court.

How she had smiled at Mina after the game and stopped to talk to her for almost a minute before suddenly running off. Mina had hoped that it was Jeongyeon getting nervous about talking to her, but Momo had a better theory.

“Okay,” Momo warned as she handed her food over, “but you better not eat any chips. I know exactly how many there are.”

Jeongyeon laughed as she stepped around to the other side of the lab bench, “You know, I somehow find myself believing you, Momo. Take it away when you’re ready. I’ll take notes.”

Momo would bet her chips that Jeongyeon had caught a glance of Nayeon and immediately fled the gym. Whatever had been the cause of their breakup, it was clear the two of them didn’t end on good terms.

“You sure this is a good idea,” Momo questioned, “You really want me doing this?”

She grabbed the container with sodium in it and picked up a spoon, “This is your last chance to back out,” she continued, shaking the sodium canister lightly in Jeongyeon’s direction

The bane of her existence/her chemistry partner/the bane of Nayeon’s existence just shook her head and laughed again, and not for the first time, Momo found herself studying the other girl in an effort to figure out what she had that Momo didn’t. Why was it Jeongyeon who made Mina’s heart flutter instead of her?

Jeongyeon looked around the room, shrugged her shoulders, and hopped up onto the lab bench, swinging her legs around to rest on Momo’s side of the bench.

“Isn’t Mr. Park’s number one rule that we don’t sit on the lab equipment?”

“Actually,” Jeongyeon replied, an increasingly familiar sly grin stealing across her face, “his number one rule is ‘No food in the lab’, and his second rule is ‘Don’t let me catch you sitting on the lab equipment.’”

“So really,” and now Jeongyeon was leaning in and shaking her chips at her, “you’re the delinquent here. He’s not here so he can’t see me.”

Maybe that was it. Maybe it was that dash of rebel that Jeongyeon had about her. She’d never seen the girl actually get in trouble, but she seemed like the type who just might punch your bully in the face and then buy you ice cream after.

But, Momo would also punch people in the face for Mina and buy her the ice cream.

Was it the hair? Mina absolutely never stopped talking about Jeongyeon’s hair. Did Mina have a thing for blondes? Is that the solution Momo was looking for?

Suddenly, Momo realized that Jeongyeon had just finished saying something else to her, and that Momo’s response had been to just stare at her for a good 15 seconds.

"We should get going with this experiment, huh," Momo asked as she whipped her head back around to look at the lab equipment. She could just focus on this beaker of water and everything would be fine. Momo adjusted the spoon in her hand and began scooping up the sodium.  
  
She really didn’t need her lab partner thinking she was a weirdo who stared at people and also someone who couldn’t do chemistry. All she needed to do was dump some sodium in this water and then she'd be free to stop thinking about Jeongyeon.  
  
She focused on the bubbles rising to the surface of the water. Focused on adding in the right amount of sodium. Focused on not thinking about Jeongyeon maybe liking Mina back and taking her on dates and holding her hand and  
  
"Momo, no!"  
  
One moment Momo was focusing on the beaker, and the next, all of the air was pushed out of her lungs as Jeongyeon's arm slammed into her sternum, knocking her to the ground. Momo was vaguely aware of what sounded like very loud hissing coming from somewhere in the room, but she found her senses overwhelmed by Jeongyeon.  
  
Jeongyeon who threw them to the ground, who managed to get one of her hands behind Momo's head so that the majority of the pain she felt was coming from her shoulders and lower back, who was currently next to her on the cold, tiled floor of their chemistry lab.  
  
She watched the blonde take a deep breath as she lifted up her head and stared at Momo in disbelief.  
  
"You're okay?"  
  
Momo could only nod.  
  
"Great, so then I can ask this without feeling bad. What the heck was that," Jeongyeon questioned, her voice rising in volume with each word. "You know you were only supposed to add a small amount! Why did you suddenly decide to pour in a crap ton of sodium from the canister?"  
  
As Jeongyeon worked herself into a fervor, Momo's eye was caught by smoke billowing from what she assumed was their beaker. The entire area where they were standing was obscured by smoke, only broken up by bursts of flame.  
  
"Um. Oops."  
  
The other girl stopped mid-sentence and stared at her, eyes and mouth open wide, "Oops? You explode our chemistry project and all you have to say is 'Oops'? Look at it," Jeongyeon exclaimed, gesturing behind herself with her free arm.  
  
"Sorry," Momo murmured, covering the lower half of her face with her hands in an effort to obscure her rapidly reddening face. "My hand slipped."  
  
Jeongyeon opened her mouth. Closed it. Opened it again. Closed it once more, opened it, and sighed, "Well, whatever. Not like the materials are hard to come by, and no one got seriously hurt.”  
  
She hopped to her feet and leaned down to offer Momo a hand, "I hope you know that you're responsible for cleaning that up, though."  
  
Her body was now throbbing from her impact with the floor, making it hard to think about anything other than how hard the floor was. She blinked a few times, trying to focus on Jeongyeon, and found herself unwillingly enraptured by the scene.  
  
Standing above her, hand outstretched with a wry smile on her face, smoke framing her head like a fleeting halo, her lab partner looked like an action hero, a comparison that Momo would later chalk up to lingering brain scramble from the explosion.  
  
"And," The Girl Momo Had Very Mixed Feelings About continued, throwing Momo a wink that made her heart stutter for a second, "I get to eat at least one of your chips. I put them down before the chaos happened."  
  
"Okay. Okay," Momo thought to herself as she grasped the proffered hand. “Maybe Mina's crush isn't completely uncalled, for.”  
  
Still sucked, though.  
  
**_January 25, 2017 at 2:30 pm, JYP High Gymnasium: Middle Court_**  
  
"I really just don't understand why you find him at all attractive," Sana continued, halfheartedly dribbling a basketball. "Have you seen his socks? Who does that? I thought that was the type of thing that only existed in TV dramas about troubled teens."  
  
Momo couldn't help but laugh at the affronted look on Nayeon’s face.  
  
"Whatever, Minatozaki," Nayeon replied, flipping her hair over her shoulder and continuing her own poor imitation of someone who knew how to play basketball. "You can't give me crap when you're single."  
  
"Actually, I can," Sana countered. "I may be single, but the girls I have gone on a dates with don't wear demeaning t-shirts that look like they were handcrafted by a fedora wearing 30-year-old who smells like cheeto dust and toxic masculinity."  
  
The smirk Sana threw at her as she finished speaking pushed Momo over the edge, and she doubled over in laughter, not minding that the motion sent her basketball rolling over to another court.  
  
"You're impossible," Nayeon exclaimed, stomping her foot in frustration. "Whatever. What about you, Momo? You have any witty commentary about my boyfriend?"  
  
Nayeon's eyes locked onto her with an almost overwhelming intensity, pulling Momo out of her laughter and causing her to straighten up without thinking about it.  
  
"Well, I don't really have a lot of thoughts. I mean, he can dance pretty okay, though sometimes his lines are messy. And…," Momo pulled her eyes away from Nayeon's and gazed around the auditorium in an effort to look like she was thinking of something to say.  
  
In truth, Nayeon's boyfriend was a pile of garbage. His lines were decent, but the rest of his personality was certainly not. She would never say this to the older girl out of fear of death, but he seemed like quite the downgrade from the last person Nayeon dated.  
  
Speaking of Jeongyeon, Momo caught the other girl's eye as she looked around the gymnasium, receiving a quick smile in return before Jeongyeon's attention was once again wrapped up in the game she was playing. Before she looked away though, Momo saw her eyes flicker briefly over to Nayeon.  
  
Typical.  
  
If there was one thing Momo had learned about the basketball star during their time together as lab partners, it was that she was hopelessly hung up on her ex. It was enough to make Momo feel bad for her, and even enough to make Momo resent Jeongyeon slightly less for still being the object of Mina's affection.  
  
Mina who was currently in biology, if Momo remembered correctly. Probably listening intently to the teacher, with that cute look of concentration on her face that Momo loved so much, and she was probably–  
  
"Annnnd," Nayeon prompted, once again drawing Momo's eyes back to hers.  
  
Momo weighed her options and decided to just be honest and save herself the trouble of lying. "He likes carrying your books around so that's nice. Sana is right, though. You can do better," she answered.  
  
"Oh really? Good to know you think so."  
  
And Nayeon was smiling at her now, small, but present. And almost shy? Momo looked to Sana for clarification, but Sana just mirrored her expression. If anything, she had expected another rebuke.  
  
"Because you didn't say something rude like Sana, I'll go get your basketball for you," Nayeon said, giving Momo a look before all but skipping off to go get the lost basketball.  
  
"I am... confused."  
  
"You and me both, Momoring, you and me both."  
  
After a beat, Momo bent down to fiddle with her shoelaces, not wanting to be the latest victim of their gym teacher’s wrath. Last year he was dumb enough to believe it took her 15 minutes to tie her shoes, so she could probably get away with it this year too.  
  
Sana had apparently decided to find other ways of keeping busy, "Also, did you see Mina's outfit today? Cute, right? Maybe someone should tell her."  
  
Basketball can wait, Momo decided, as she began chasing her cackling best friend around the gymnasium.  
  
And if the gym coach pulled her aside after scolding both of them to suggest that she take a look at the track team next season, well, that just about made her day.  
  
**_July 16, 2017 at 1:07 am, Minatozaki Sana's House: The Right Side of Sana's Bed_**  
  
"Hey, Sana. You're still awake, right," Momo asked the gently breathing form of her bed buddy for the night. She was pretty sure Sana was still awake. She hadn't started doing that little snore thing, and Momo had only been gone for, like, 10 minutes. (Even after years and years, she still found herself taking time to just be in awe of just how many fridges the Minatozakis had.)  
  
Half of Momo hoped that Sana had indeed fallen asleep already, setting a new record for a girl that could easily stay up until 4 and get up at 6 without problem. The other half desperately wanted her best friend to still be awake.  
  
Sana stirred and Momo found herself looking down into familiar brown eyes. (Eyes that she had once said were the color of a chocolate tootsie pop in the sun, which had resulted in Sana not speaking to her for two days.)  
  
"It takes more than you being gone for 20 minutes to raid my snacks for me to fall asleep, Hirai, you know that. Besides, we still have a movie to watch." Sana's voice carried an echo of sleep in it, and Momo had a feeling Sana had been sleeping a bit more deeply than she'd admit.  
  
Once again, Momo was split down the middle. The part of her that hated being sad wanted to just tease her best friend and watch a movie. The other part wanted to ask a question that her mind had cooked up while she was heading back upstairs.  
  
"Can I ask you something," was what she ended up saying, internally flinching at how pathetic and sad her own voice sounded to her ears.  
  
Sana’s eyes sharpened and her brow furrowed in concern as she sat up, "Of course."  
  
Momo closed her eyes and took a deep breath, and then another. She knew what she had to say, knew what the answer would be, but she still needed a minute. She opened her eyes and found Sana just looking back at her, eyes soft and full of patience.  
  
This wasn’t the first time Momo had been reminded of the fact that Sana was the person in the world who understood her better than anyone. She knew that Momo, while often prone to just blurting out what she's feeling, sometimes needed time to gather her words together. Knew that, if she just stayed quiet, Momo would spill her heart out before the sun rises.  
  
Knew that Momo had a lot going on up there. Knew that it didn’t mean she was dumb or an airhead. Knew that sometimes Momo just needed an anchor to pull her back down to earth.  
  
An anchor that Sana provided as she gently covered Momo’s hand with her own, stopping a nervous tapping Momo didn't even realize she had started.  
  
Momo felt safe. She felt grounded. And so she spoke, voice cracking slightly as she finished, "Do you think I should just give up on Mina?"  
  
Sana's hand tightened over hers as surprise flickered across her face. A small part of Momo cheered. It wasn’t easy to sneak up on Minatozaki Sana.  
  
Momo continued, "She's never going to look at me that way, Sana. Her mystery crush has calmed down since summer started, but still," she swallowed, "I think I should start moving on."  
  
"Momo," Sana murmured, and that's all it took. She could hear it in Sana's voice, the pity slipping through as the other girl struggled to not break her heart while not wanting to lie.  
  
She hated crying. Absolutely loathed it with a fierceness that she usually reserved for people that broke promises and chemistry. Disliked how her face felt afterwards, her eyes sore and nose runny. Despised the aches that can come from body wracking sobs.  
  
She would not cry.  
  
"I'm not saying she'll never like you back, but maybe it is time to try moving on. Date around a bit," Sana was ever so gentle as she continued.  
  
She would not cry.  
  
"She may end this summer completely over that mystery person, but that doesn't mean you should wait around."  
  
She would not cry.  
  
"You deserve romance too, Momoring."  
  
It wasn’t until she was pulled into Sana's embrace and felt her own tears pooling on the other girl's neck that she realized she had failed in her mission.  
  
Sana lowered them down to the bed, and Momo felt herself begin to cry harder. Sana pulled her closer and wriggled down until they were at eye-level, gently knocking their foreheads together and giving Momo a weak smile.

“It’s going to be okay, Momo. I promise.”  
  
It felt like someone had reached into her chest, grabbed her heart, and twisted, leaving behind a mess that was echoing throughout her body. Before she had asked her question, her mind was racing, thinking of all the things she wanted to do with Mina and how she may never get the chance to do them.  
  
But now, there was just one thought at the forefront of her mind: Mina would never be hers, and she'd just have to come to terms with that.  
  
Her sobs were growing louder and more panicked as the aftershocks of her heartbreak spread. The only thing preventing a complete fracture was Sana’s embrace. The younger girl was whispering words Momo couldn’t quite hear and stroking her hair.

She wasn't sure how long they stayed in that position, but it felt like an eternity. Somewhere along the way she had tangled her fingers in the collar of Sana's sleep shirt, taking comfort in the soft, worn fabric.  
  
Eventually, when her crying had slowed and her breathing had leveled out a bit, Momo heard what Sana had been murmuring to her over and over again.  
  
"It's going to be okay. You're okay. I've got you. Just keep breathing."  
  
After a few more minutes, Momo found herself able to properly form thoughts again. Her attempts at speech were no longer devolving into choked off sobs.  
  
"You know, if you didn't want to watch a movie that badly you could've just said so."  
  
Despite herself, Momo let out a watery chuckle and bumped their foreheads together, "I told you. Monsters Inc. or bust."  
  
Sana laughed gently and placed a kiss on her forehead, and then on her cheek, and another one on her temple, followed by one on the tip of her nose. The cycle was repeated until Momo started laughing, half-heartedly attempting to get out of Sana’s grasp, “I hate that you always do this to me when I’m sad.”

“Um, hello? It works, doesn’t it? If you have a faster way to make you laugh again after you’ve cried, you’re welcome to try, but I’ve been using this method for at least 10 years with 100% success,” Sana responded, proving her point by placing a very loud kiss on Momo’s forehead, elicting a giggle despite her best efforts at resistance.

She did feel a bit better, still awful and heartbroken, but better. Sana knew her better than she liked to admit.  
  
"I should've known it was a lost cause when she saw me in a sports bra and didn't care,” Momo grumbled, wiping at the remnants of her tears.  
  
"One day you'll stop flirting like an arrogant boy,” Sana replied fondly.  
  
"Okay, rude. Be nice to me, I'm sad," Momo pouted, only to receive another kiss on the forehead.  
  
Momo groaned and wriggled in Sana's arms, rolling onto her other side and pulling Sana's arm with her. The other girl followed, and as Momo settled into her new position, she was reminded of another reason that she hated crying.  
  
It was exhausting, and all she wanted to do now was sleep. She could process the remnants of her feelings in the morning.  
  
"Hey, Sana," Momo began, "can we…"  
  
"Go straight to bed and not watch a movie,” Sana finished. "Duh."  
  
"Thanks," Momo whispered, her body taking Sana's words as permission to immediately begin falling asleep. She felt Sana nod behind her and reminded herself to buy Sana a milkshake tomorrow.  
  
An undetermined amount of time passed, and Momo was right on the edge of sleep when Sana spoke, "Hey, Momo?"  
  
"Mhmm."  
  
"I love you, and you're going to be okay. I promise." Another kiss, this time on the top of her head.  
  
"I love you too. Thank you," was what Momo tried to say, but with how tired she was she honestly couldn't be sure that she didn't just mumble it.  
  
Regardless, she was confident that Sana knew how she felt.  
  
She always did.  
  
**_October 20, 2017 at 5:45 am; Myoui Mina's House: The Driveway_  
**  
Momo knew she should probably be feeling annoyed, or even concerned, but all she felt was amusement as she watched Mina run out of her front door. In her haste, she had forgotten to shut the front door and had to double back, causing Momo to let out a laugh.  
  
Mina was absolutely adorable when flustered, and even more so when wearing an oversized sweater and the scarf that Sana and Momo had gotten her for her birthday last year.  
  
"I am so so sorry, Momo. I thought I had set my alarm for 4:45, but it was for 5:45 instead so I got woken up by Ray jumping on me at 5 and now I'm making us late and I am so sorry, " are the words flung at Momo as Mina all but throws herself into the passenger seat.  
  
Momo found herself just staring at Mina, momentarily unable to respond to the volley of words.  
  
Momo continued to stare, noticing that Mina also now seemed unable to speak, a look of embarrassment now on her face.  
  
Eventually, all Momo could do was laugh, so sudden and loud that Mina jumped in surprise.  
  
"Mina," Momo began, shaking her head and placing her hand on the gear shift, "you are absolutely adorable. Also, buckle your seatbelt."  
  
"Wh-what," Mina responded, fingers blindly fumbling for her seat belt as she continued looking at Momo. "Aren't you mad?"  
  
"Nah. We'll just tell our captains that we ran into traffic, or that your butler decided to make us a three-course breakfast before we left," Momo responded playfully. Getting mad at Mina wasn’t really something she did that often, or ever.  
  
Mina scoffed and then quickly followed it up with a laugh, "You know, they would probably believe it."  
  
Momo looked at the clock. Technically, they had 15 minutes to get to school before they were late for practice, and Mina's house was about 20 minutes away. Momo weighed the influence of her and Mina’s popularity on their respective teams and determined that being 5 or 10 minutes late wouldn’t get either of them in big trouble.

After a couple minutes of driving, Momo glanced over at Mina from the corner of her eye and saw that the girl was basically falling asleep in her seat. She chuckled to herself as she made a mental note to be extra gentle at stop signs and stoplights. If there was one thing she understood, it was the need to nap. However, she allowed herself to silently jam along to the radio, wanting something to pass the time.  
  
"I heard a rumor," Mina said, interrupting Momo's secret singalong session and making her jump slightly in her seat. She sounded tired, but she also sounded nervous, and Momo felt worry stirring in her gut.  
  
"A rumor? About who?"  
  
"Well, apparently Jeongyeon was seen out on a date with a certain cheer captain."  
  
Momo almost slammed on the breaks as her brain processed Mina's words, "What? No way!"  
  
"Yeah way," Mina responded, chuckling at Momo's obvious shock. "Apparently they went to the movies together."  
  
"Damn. Okay, get it girl. I guess since she quit the basketball team, she needed some way to be connected to sports," Momo mused.  
  
A thought occurred to her suddenly, as her and Mina settled back into a comfortable silence, and she cursed herself for the fact that it made her stomach drop for even a second.  
  
"Are you…," Momo started, "feeling okay about that? I know you told me you were mostly over her, but I also know that can take a while." The words tasted slightly bitter in her mouth, but she knew she had to try.  
  
"I am," Mina responded after a few painfully long seconds. "I meant it when I said I was over her. Jeongyeon is really nice and all, but I," Mina paused long enough for Momo to miss the change of the light from red to green, and she resumed driving with a lurch. "I don't feel like I'm flying when I think about her."  
  
"Oh," Momo responded, desperately wishing she could look at Mina head on as she finally said what the Momo of two months ago would be thrilled to hear. "That's great! I mean good! I mean," Momo had lost any semblance of the calm demeanor she had possessed moments before, “I’m glad it's not hurting you.”  
  
"Yeah," Mina responded with a dry chuckle, "me too."  
  
It was with relief that Momo pulled into the parking lot. The rest of the drive had consisted mostly of comfortable silence and low-key duets, but Momo found herself feeling reluctantly exhilarated all the same. She knew that she should not be this excited about Mina getting over Jeongyeon, but she couldn’t help it.  
  
As they walked up to the front doors, Momo raised her arm to grab the handle when Mina suddenly stopped her arm.  
  
"Oh my god! I almost forgot," Mina exclaimed, reaching into her bag, "I brought a muffin for you this morning but completely forgot about it."

Momo was stunned into silence, half at the words Mina had said and half at the feeling of Mina’s hand on her arm. Was Mina aware that every time she touched Momo, it sent little sparks dancing across her skin? Did she know how rude she was being right now? Momo had a goal to meet!  
  
"For you," she said with a grin, presenting Momo with a chocolate chip muffin like it was an uncut diamond. "I wanted to say thanks for picking me up."  
  
Crush destroying goals aside, she supposed there was no harm in eating a muffin. As she began unwrapping her prize, she spared a brief thought to the idea that she kept not getting over Mina because she kept eating food the other girl offered her. However, that musing was quickly dropped as a better idea came to mind.  
  
"Actually, wait a second," Momo said, holding up a hand to stop Mina as she went to open the front door. "This was my gift for picking you up. Where's my late fee? Time is money."  
  
Mina laughed, gracing Momo's ears with one of her favorite sounds. The other girl looked truly beautiful, her windswept hair and chill-kissed cheeks making her look the epitome of autumn coziness. Momo felt warmth stirring in her chest, and she knew that, in the last 20 minutes, she had lost weeks of progress.  
  
"How about a secret," Mina responded, playfulness dancing in her eyes.  
  
"A secret? Do tell, Ms. Myoui. I'll judge whether or not it's worth it." This was one of Momo's favorite things, bantering with Mina. It didn't happen too often, Mina tending to just laugh instead of play back.  
  
"Okay," and suddenly Mina was very much in Momo's personal space and suddenly Mina's lips were right by her ear, and suddenly Mina was whispering, "I like someone else now."  
  
And suddenly Mina was kissing her on the cheek, and suddenly Mina was opening the door, throwing her a shy smile, and rushing off to practice.  
  
And suddenly Momo knew that she was very much not over Mina, if the buzzing sensation she was beginning to feel was anything to go by.  
  
The sensation of Mina's lips on her cheek was countered by her sinking realization that Mina had yet another crush, and the elation she had felt at Mina's dismissal of her feelings for Jeongyeon was quickly dissipating. At least then she had known that Mina's crush was one sided.  
  
Now Momo knew that she had to double down on getting over Mina, even if seeing Mina smile did make her feel like she was among the clouds instead of on the ground.  
  
Sana was right. She deserved to have her own love life, and she was right to try getting over Mina. Momo knew what was best for her heart.  
  
And yet.  
  
**_December 24th, 2017 at 2:33 pm; Park Jihyo's House: The Kitchen Table_**

Laughter rung out across the table as Mina and Momo held up their Christmas presents from Sana. 

“Wow okay this is amazing,” Nayeon said, barely able to speak through her giggling. 

“Yeah,” Momo responded dryly. “I really love it, Sana. You’ve outdone yourself.” The grin she received in response would be maddening if she hadn’t been fighting off a case of the giggles herself. 

Mina, losing that battle, started full on laughing as she took another look at their shirts, which read “Sana’s #1 Cutie Patooties” in bright pink, “I really want to hate these but they’re too cute.”

She turned to look at Momo, and her smile nearly broke Momo’s resolve to not laugh. Smiling when Mina smiled was just an instinct.

“You two can be matchy-matchy now, so consider that an additional gift,” Sana said, with a wink that made Momo want to smack her in the face with these godforsaken shirts. Sana knew how she felt about Mina, yet apparently couldn’t pass up the opportunity for some teasing. 

“I want to trade for Nayeon’s gift,” Momo grumbled, crossing her arms and pouting. “She got a doll, and I got a stupid shirt.” 

“Momo,” Jihyo said, finally having ceased her laughing. “You do realize that the doll Nayeon got is a doll of herself, right?”

“Better than this,” she replied, half-heartedly waving the ‘gift’ around. 

“Awwwwww, Momo,” Nayeon teased. “I didn’t realize you were such a big fan. Do you want an autograph?” Nayeon’s crappy attempt at a wink was the last straw.

As Momo dropped her head onto the table, laughter rang out once more. She felt an arm go around her shoulders and was ready to tell Nayeon where she could shove her doll, when Mina’s voice whispered into her ear instead, “You know they’re not bad, and besides, Sana was right. We’d look cute together.”

Never before had Momo been so glad that her face was hidden from view. A blush erupted on her face as Mina’s words hit her brain. Them. Together. Looking cute. 

“Okay, okay maybe we should move on and give Momo a break. Maybe our other gifts will make her feel better,” Jihyo suggested, proving once again why she was Momo’s most helpful friend, even if there was a note of teasing in her voice. “We can do mine next. They’re in my room under my bed.”

Seeing a chance to flee and save face, Momo leapt to her feet, surprising the other girls at the table and making Mina jump back with a squeak, “I’ll get them! Second door on the left, right Jihyo?”

She had one foot on the bottom step by the time Jihyo’s confused voice reached her, “Yes, and thank you, Momo.” She could hear everyone else laughing at her sudden sprint from the table, but she really wasn’t bothered. What would be a bother was the conversation she knew Sana would have with her the next time they were alone. 

Either that, or she’d just give her a knowing look. Both options sucked. 

Jihyo’s voice traveled through the house again, “Make sure you grab the right ones, please!”

Momo came to a halt in Jihyo’s doorway, and took a few deep breathes to center herself. Hopefully by the time she got the presents together, her face would be back to its normal hue. 

She had always loved Jihyo’s room, adored the light blue walls and soft white carpet that made the room feel a bit like being inside a cloud. Trophies decorated the walls. From dancing and singing awards to quiz bowl trophies, Jihyo’s room spoke to her wide array of talents. Momo’s favorite thing about Jihyo’s room, however, was the little dresser by her bed that served as a night table. 

There were three photos occupying the space otherwise covered by Jihyo’s book of the month and various knick-knacks. The first was a photo of Jihyo and her family on a camping trip, looking a bit worse for wear, but smiling all the same. The first time she had seen it, Momo teased Jihyo for weeks about the girl’s neon orange jacket and purple boots. 

“Explain.”

“My parents wanted to be able to easily spot me from a distance.”

“Okay, but why are you wearing three headbands and glittery tights?”

“...I was 5.”

The second one was a photo of Jihyo with her, as she called them, “Even-Day Friend Group”. Jeongyeon was front and center, grinning wider than Momo had ever seen, arms pulling close a glowering and very damp Jihyo and Dahyun as a laughing Tzuyu stood slightly off to the side.  

She’d never been able to get the full story, but apparently it involved a game of tag that quickly got out of hand. 

And the third was one of Momo’s favorite photos on the planet, snapped by Jihyo’s mom during one of their many sleepovers. The photo captured the five of them in what could only be described as a cuddle puddle. It had started with Jihyo using Nayeon’s stomach as a pillow while they watched a movie and had gone from there. By the time they had settled into their sleeping positions for the night, everyone was functioning as a pillow in one way or another. 

She was glad someone had been able to capture the moment. She had a copy of the same photo on her desk at home. 

(There was a fourth photo by Jihyo’s bedside, Momo knew. She had found it one day when looking around for an M&M she had dropped during a study session. She had thrust her hand under the dresser after something caught her eye, but instead of chocolate, her hand hit wood. Curious, she had pulled out what appeared to be an old picture frame. 

Thinking it was something Jihyo had dropped under there by mistake, Momo had been halfway to asking her about it when she flipped it over and saw the picture in the frame. She immediately knew that this picture was not under there by mistake.  

It was an adorable photo. Nayeon, Jeongyeon, and Jihyo had their arms thrown around each other, one hand holding cotton candy and the other a fistful of carnival ride tickets. Each of the girls was giving a wide grin, showing off various gaps where their adult teeth had yet to grow in.

Momo hoped that one day that photo would be put back in its rightful place.)

Moving on from her admiration of Jihyo’s décor, Momo kneeled down to begin her quest for gifts. There were about a dozen under her bed, and Momo figured the best way to figure out which was whose was to just sweep them all out from under the bed. In the light, Momo was able to pull out the gifts for the girls downstairs, and she had a feeling Jihyo’s warning was to stop her from accidentally grabbing the presents for Jeongyeon, Dahyun, and Tzuyu.

She even spotted a gift for that freshman in the theatre club that Nayeon wouldn’t stop talking about. Based on the shape of the gift, Son Chaeyoung was going to be getting a book for Christmas this year. Momo would bet anything that it was something to do with old playwrights.

She was halfway out the door with her spoils before she made a split-second decision. She could either lean into the joke or continue being teased all night.

The decision was easy.

And seeing Sana choke on her hot chocolate when she saw Momo wearing her Christmas gift? Definitely worth the original teasing.

**_December 24th, 2017 at 5:33 pm; Park Jihyo's House: End of the Driveway_ **

“And then there were two,” Momo said through cold lips, turning to look at the girl standing beside her. “You sure you won’t freeze?”

“I should be good,” Mina replied, waving her hand at Momo to show her gloves. “Besides, I have you to keep me warm if need be.”

Momo was thankful to whoever was looking over her that her cheeks were already red from the cold. At least there was one positive to the below freezing temperatures.

“I still don’t understand why Jihyo told us she had to go meet her family for dinner but then ran out the door with presents for Jeongyeon and Tzuyu after Nayeon left,” Mina continued, putting her hand back in her pocket.

“Ah, well, you know Nayeon doesn’t like Jeongyeon,” Momo responded, breaking eye contact with Mina and focusing on the snow covered ground. “Jihyo just probably didn’t want the drama.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Momo saw Mina rock back and forth on her feet in an effort to keep warm, “You sure you’re okay? My mom said it would take her 10 minutes to get here with the snow on the ground.”

“I’m fine,” Mina insisted. “Really, I am.”

“Okay,” Momo responded skeptically, “but you’re shivering and –”

“Oh wait! I have to give you your other present,” Mina exclaimed, beginning to pull something out of her pocket, “I wanted to give it to you when we were alone.”

Momo was confused. She had thought the giant Sully plushy she had stuffed into her backpack was her gift for the year. The confusion must’ve been evident on her face as Mina continued to get her second gift. “I know I already gave you a gift, but I also wanted to get you something else. Here. I hope you like it.”

As she extended her hand, Mina suddenly became as interested in the snow as Momo was moments ago. "I wanted to get it as a thank you present. You've been a really wonderful friend ever since we've met, Momo." Mina looked up and smiled shyly. "I wanted to give you this, so please accept it."

Momo looked at the small package being held out to her, and picked it up slowly, not letting on that her heart had started beating rapidly in her chest. 

"Go ahead," Mina prompted, shuffling closer. "You don't have to wait until Christmas."

Hands shaking from more than just cold, Momo slowly began untying the bow holding the present shut. She slipped a thumb under a crease of the pink wrapping paper she knew Mina had spent far too much time perfecting, enjoying how smoothly it unfolded and presented her with a box underneath.

Momo turned the uncovered box over in her hands, unthinkingly passing the wrapping paper off to Mina so she could examine unimpeded. She was excited to see what Mina got her, and she wanted to make sure she made the most of the moment. It wasn't everyday your crush-that-you're-trying-not-to-crush-on gives you a surprise Christmas gift.

Her attention was drawn away from the box as Mina shuffled even closer, now bringing them shoulder to shoulder, "Open it already," she whined, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "You always open presents so slowly."

Momo nudged Mina with her shoulder in response and grinned, “Maybe someone just needs to learn patience.”

Mina huffed at her and stopped bouncing, apparently resigning herself to a slow unwrapping.

As she finally uncovered the gift, Momo couldn’t help but let out a gasp of wonder, “Is this…,” Momo trailed off, unable to speak past the sudden lump in her throat.

“It’s a picture my mom took of us the first day that we met,” Mina finished for her. “I was so happy to have met someone nice that I pulled you into a hug before I could stop myself. Which, thinking back on it, is completely embarrassing, but still. I thought you might like it.”

“You’re wrong,” Momo said, finding her words again.

“What?” Mina looked stricken, “Do you not like the gift?”

“No, I love it,” Momo responded. “You’re just wrong about the hug.”

She turned to face Mina and pulled her into a hug, not missing how perfectly they seemed to fit together.

“It wasn’t embarrassing,” Momo said quietly. “It was perfect, and so is this. Thank you.”

Momo couldn’t say how long they would’ve stood there if her mom hadn’t pulled up and honked the horn at them, scaring them apart from each other. They looked at each other for a moment more before scrambling into the car.

As they pulled away from Jihyo’s house, Momo took another look at Mina’s present. There, within a beautiful redwood frame, sat a picture that Momo knew she would treasure forever. It showed two young girls embracing amongst a crowd of elementary school kids waiting to be picked up, and Momo was pretty sure she could pick Sana out of the crowd. She remembered so vividly how happy she had been when her new friend hugged her after school let out, had been so joyous when she told her she would see her tomorrow.

Momo lifted her gaze from the photo and saw Mina watching her. “I’m really glad you like it,” she said softly. “I was nervous I would hype it up to much.”

“If anything, you hyped it up too little,” Momo responded, flashing a small smile. “This is amazing.”

They didn’t speak for the rest of the ride back to Momo’s house. Momo was content to just soak in the moment, and Mina appeared to be somewhere else, eyes staring unfocused out the window.

Momo told herself that she could be content with this, could be happy just being Mina’s friend. As long as she continued to be a part of Mina’s life, she would be happy. She could deal with not having her feelings returned.

And yet.

**_April 27th, 2018 at 5:18 pm; JYP High Hallway: Across From Room 235_ **

It was Nayeon’s fifth sigh that broke her, “Do you need something,” Momo asked, pulling her sports drink away from her lips and shooting her friend an annoyed glare. “You’ve been making noise for the past 5 minutes.”

“No, no,” Nayeon responded, adjusting the textbooks in her arms and turning to lean her shoulder against the brick wall, a playful smile suddenly on display. “Just wondering if you’ll be less grumpy once the love of your life shows up.”

As Momo began choking on the drink she had just taken, she found her mind racing. By now, she was rarely surprised by things Im Nayeon said or did, but she hadn’t breathed a word of her long-lasting crush on Mina.

If you asked the student body of JYP High how Nayeon looked right now, a smirk on her lips and a glint in her eye, most of them would say devilishly attractive. But to Momo, through watering eyes and pained coughing, she just looked like the devil.

“I don’t know what you’re taking about,” Momo answered hoarsely. This was one secret Nayeon absolutely could not know. If she was ever going to get over this crush, she needed to keep it hidden.

Nayeon just raised an eyebrow and waited.

And waited.

Momo was confident she could win this stare down. She had everything to lose in this battle. Nayeon was just after some gossip.

“Fine,” Nayeon said, with a roll of her eyes. “Just know that I see your puppy dog eyes every time she walks into the room. I get it. Mina is pretty amazing. You’ve liked her for what, at least two years now?”

Momo continued to stare, desperately hoping her silence would counter the blush she felt rapidly overtaking her face. The last time she had told Nayeon about a crush, she had been on the receiving end of a very bad wink every time she was within 5 feet of her. (The flirtation had only lasted for three weeks, an attempt at getting that romance Sana said she deserved.) The experience had done nothing but prove that her life was smoother when Nayeon didn’t know about her crushes.

Not that that has done much to stop her from finding out, apparently.

“I’m just saying,” Nayeon continued, content to just ignore Momo’s reluctance, “you should try asking her out.” Nayeon finally broke her gaze and looked across the hall to the lockers. “What have you got to lose?”

Momo let out a scoff before she could stop herself, and Nayeon’s eyes darted back to her, an eyebrow raising in curiosity, “Got something to say, Momo?”

“No,” Momo replied. The last thing she needed was a lecture on bravery. She knew anything Nayeon would say would be with the best intentions. It always was, but she had heard the same thing from Sana far too many times to want to hear it again. Why did no one seem to understand why she was so afraid?

“Well, if you ever decide to stop being a scaredy cat and need tips you know where to find me,” Nayeon responded, giving Momo yet another terrible wink.

“I don’t like her! Don’t do something stupid,” Momo insisted. “Also don’t act like there aren’t things for me to be afraid of Nayeon. I could lose one of my best friends.”

Nayeon pushed off of the wall and turned to face Momo head on, an affronted look on her face. “Okay first of all. I never do stupid things, and second,” Nayeon paused, her eyes unfocusing for a moment before she shook her head slightly and looked at Momo again, “and second, it’s nothing you couldn’t get over.”

Momo wondered how quickly Nayeon would chase after her if she told her how hollow that last sentence sounded. She had returned to her previous position after speaking, her gaze once again drifting off, finding purchase on the lockers.

After a beat, Momo let her head fall back against the wall and closed her eyes, resigning herself to whatever was coming next.

“Mina isn’t the type to ditch a friend for confessing, and even if she was, it wouldn’t be a –”

“I’m not like you,” Momo interrupted, more heat in her voice than she expected, “I can’t just lose someone I love and then carry on like nothing happened.” She was screwing her eyes shut now, wary of the emotion Nayeon’s words had evoked. The thought of not being Mina’s friend anymore was more terrible than any rejection. Why the hell was that not getting across to Nayeon?

Silence met her outburst, and after hearing nothing for a handful of seconds, Momo opened her eyes and saw Nayeon still standing there, still staring at the lockers. The grip she had on her books had tightened, and an indecipherable smile graced her lips.

“Did she ever talk about me?”

“I’m sorry, what,” Momo replied. This conversation had the coherence of Chaeyoung’s ramblings about up and coming European artists, and Momo was not following.

Nayeon maintained her focus on the lockers, but Momo saw her lips pull into a brief grimace. With that, she knew exactly who Nayeon was talking about. If the mood hadn’t suddenly increased in seriousness, Momo would’ve started laughing.

Truthfully, she was surprised this hadn’t come up sooner. She used to come back from chemistry class ready to be grilled by Nayeon, but the questions never came.

“No, she didn’t, but sh–,” Momo paused as she shuffled through her memories of Jeongyeon.

Remembered the first time she met the other girl, how she had been amused by the nervous student council representation who was supposed to show her around a school she herself was barely familiar with.

“Okay, so this time I promise this is the science wing. I’m sorry this took so long. The map they gave me was terrible.”

“It’s okay! I had fun, but why do they have a freshman showing transfer students around? You know the school as well as me.”

“I wish I knew. I signed up to be on the freshman student council because one of my friends encouraged me to, and apparently the school is trying to work on freshman engagement. Personally, I think this solution kind of sucks, but hey, we made it through! Now, let me show you where the gym is! That one I know.”

Remembered seeing her at a lunch a week later, sitting by herself at the end of the “jock” table. Remembered waving and hearing her new friend Nayeon scoff.

“Do you know her?”

“Jeongyeon? Yeah.”

“She’s nice! She showed me around the school, much better than Sana’s tour guide.”

“Yoo Jeongyeon is… fine. Her and I don’t get along well, to be honest.”

“Oh really? Why not?”

“It’s a long story. Let’s just say we don’t fit well into each other’s lives.”

Remembered the countless times she’d see Jeongyeon’s eyes slip for a moment and focus on Nayeon. Remembered watching Jeongyeon date other people. Remembered watching as her eyes stopped finding Nayeon in the crowd, started focusing more on her friends and current paramour. Remembered thinking that she had finally moved on.

“She…,” Nayeon prompted, eyes finally back on her.

“She nothing,” Momo stated firmly, “She never mentioned you. I never brought it up, and I don’t want to end up with an ex-best friend I never talk to.”

Nayeon laughed, shook her head softly, and then spoke, genuine and gentle, “Good.”

Momo stared, lost once more.

“Momo, you’re wonderful and amazing and talented and beautiful and your laugh is one of my favorite sounds. Don’t be afraid to believe that someone else could want you too.”

She squeaked. Nayeon was standing in front of her saying all these things and all she could do was squeak.

Nayeon’s eyes shot to the left, and her smile widened, “Listen, I know you clearly don’t want to talk about this, but I just want to say that you could do worse than dating one of your best friends. And, if things go bad,” Nayeon’s smile faltered for a moment before coming back, a tinge of wistfulness around the edges. “If things go bad, I have advice on what not to do. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go tease Sana about Dahyun. I caught her staring at lunch today.”

Before Momo could even blink, could even process what Nayeon had said, a kiss was pressed to her cheek, and Nayeon was gone. Momo turned her head to see her skipping towards a laughing Sana, Mina, and Jihyo, the three done with their student council meeting.

Mina had been extremely nervous for this student council meeting in particular. It was her first official piece of business as next year’s cheer captain, and she was nervous about not getting the budget that was needed.

By the looks of it, she had knocked it out of the park, just like Momo knew she would. And if Momo had been a nervous wreck waiting to hear how things went, well, that would just stay a secret between her and Nayeon. Hopefully.

The laughter increased as Nayeon reached the three of them, immediately launching into what Momo found to be an incredibly accurate an imitation of Sana at lunch, all heart eyes and soft smiles.   Momo wanted to go to them, never passing up the opportunity to fluster Sana, but she found herself needing another moment.

Nayeon had known about her crush on Mina, and, to make things worse, had encouraged her to do something about it. Even Sana had gone back to encouraging, apparently no longer agreeing with what she said last year. Granted, Sana’s prompts were more of the raised eyebrow variety these days (especially when her and Mina would clean up at game night, needing little more than a few glances to confirm whether they were on the same team for mafia), but still.

She stood there, leaning against the lockers, just looking at her friends. It wasn’t often she had a chance to just stand back and watch them interact, normally right in the thick of things.

A sudden swell of affection rose up in her chest as she continued to watch. Jihyo had joined in on the teasing now, her and Nayeon playing out a scene where Dahyun drops her tray in front of Sana and she sweeps in to save the day. Jihyo’s impression of her friend is strikingly accurate, and Nayeon’s acting talents shine as she does a picture perfect Sana.

The smile that had been growing on her face widened even more when Sana lets out a whine and throws her arms out to the side, complaining about how she would never be that unsmooth. Mina stood by her side, bent over in laughter, hand grabbing onto Sana’s sweater for balance. Momo probably could’ve stood there for another hour, watching the people she loved the most be happy with each other.

As Mina regained control over herself and straightened up again, wiping away tears of laughter, her eyes landed on Momo, “Momoring,” Mina exclaimed, beginning to come Momo’s way, “we got the budget we needed! The treasurer was impressed with the figures I made and gave us a 10% increase.” Mina’s smile was blinding now, a different feeling welling up in Momo’s chest as she got closer.

“I told you it would be fine.” Momo managed to respond, “You just have to beli–”

The words were knocked from her mouth as Mina threw her arms around her and pulled her into a hug. She was hit with several sensations at once: the feeling of Mina in her arms, the scent of her hair, the feeling of Mina’s lips on her cheek and breath on her ear as she said, “Thank you, Momo. I couldn’t have done it without your help. I owe you.”

She could feel herself blushing, could feel it increasing as Mina pulled back and smiled at her, “Anything for you, Mina. Though, I wouldn’t say no to lunch.”

She prayed that Nayeon and Sana had somehow missed this exchange, didn’t want to look at the two girls who knew her secret. Unbidden, her gaze slid over to them, and Sana’s raised eyebrow and Nayeon’s smirk told her all she needed to know.

An overenthusiastic thumbs up from Sana made her even more embarrassed, and her eyes returned to Mina. Mina, who was just standing there, smiling at Momo like nothing else mattered. Mina whose hand was still resting on her hip.

“Okay lovebirds, break it up,” Sana shouted, startling both Mina and briefly making Momo reconsider her choice in a best friend. “I have a date with a term paper that I can’t miss.”

Mina responded with a stuttering apology, free hand coming up to stop a laugh from coming out of her mouth.

In a burst of bravery that she would never, ever, under any circumstances credit Nayeon for, Momo’s hand slid up to capture the one that Mina still had on her hip, and she interlaced their fingers. “Don’t apologize, Mina. Sana has had three weeks to work on this paper. She deserves some suffering.”

As her and a giggling Mina made their way over to her friends, she found herself unable to remember exactly why she had decided giving up on Mina was such a good idea in the first place.

All she could think about was how happy Mina made her. How maybe, if Sana and Nayeon continued to poke at her about this, maybe there was a shot for her after all.

How maybe she would ask Mina out later that week after all. Hirai Momo was determined to be brave.

(And yet.)

**_August 11th, 2018 at 11:17 am; Minatozaki Sana’s Pool: The Shallow End_ **

“Wooooo, Hirai take it off,” Nayeon shouted from her spot in the center of the pool.

“Let me see those abs of steel,” Sana joined in, cheering from her pool float.

Momo paused with her shirt halfway off, shooting a half-hearted glare at her friends, “Do you two ever turn it off?”

“Nope,” Nayeon responded with a smirk, “but baby you sure turn me –“

“Okay,” Jihyo interrupted, transforming the end of Nayeon’s sentence into a shriek as she shoved her pool float. “Let’s leave Momo alone. You two have been making these jokes all summer.”

“But Jihyo,” Sana whined, paddling herself closer. “Nayeon and I are just trying to create a supportive and nurturing environment. Ladies supporting ladies, you know?”

Jihyo just glared in response, Sana’s pout not wavering until Jihyo gave up with a huff, “I’m going to join Mina. The sensible people seem to be congregating in the shallow end.”

Momo laughed as she finished removing her shirt, now fully ready to jump into the pool, “I think I’ll join you on team sensible, Jihyo,” She paused as Sana and Nayeon started arguing about which of them was more mature and deserved to be in the shallow end. “You and Mina are more pleasant company.”

She turned to share a grin with Mina, only to find the girl looking slightly dazed.

“Mina,” Momo questioned, walking down the steps into the pool and coming to a stop in front of her, “are you okay? Your face is red. Do you have a fever?”

Momo moved to place her hand on Mina’s forehead, her concern rising as the other girl failed to respond.

“Hey guys, I think Mina is –”

“I’m fine. I’m fine,” Mina interjected with a rush, eyes snapping back to focus on Momo. “I’m sorry. I just got lost in thought.” Mina ducked down and her hair fell over her face.

“That’s okay,” Momo responded with a chuckle, “Must’ve been a good thought though.” She winked at Mina and laughed as the other girl just shook her head.

A shout from Jihyo pulled her attention off of Mina, and she watched as Sana and Nayeon managed to drag Jihyo into their battle.

“I told you to not splash me!”

Jihyo was steadily making her way back over to the two girls.

“I didn’t splash you, Sana did!”

Nayeon was frantically trying to spin her pool chair around to go in a different direction.

“Did not! I would never not listen to Jihyo!”

Sana threw her pool noodle like a javelin, the projectile just barely missing a now screaming Nayeon’s head.

“That is 100% false, but I believe you this time.”

Momo could just picture the evil smile on Jihyo’s face as she approached a helpless Nayeon.

“No! Jihyo, no! Stay the hell away I swear to god if you tip this raft I’ll tell everyone about the time you got lost at the carnival!”

With a speed that reminded Momo to never mess with her, Jihyo dove under the water and burst out right underneath Nayeon’s chair, sending the girl up and over into the pool.

“Ha! Sana wins again!”

“Fool,” Mina muttered, shaking her head. “Like Jihyo will let her out of this one.”

“Don’t think you’re getting out of this.”

Jihyo turned and began making her way towards Sana, who was now doing her own poor job at trying to escape while on a pool float.

“Wait wait no please!”

“Mina,” Momo said, as a shouting Sana joined Nayeon in the pool.

“Hm?”

“I don’t think Jihyo belongs in the shallow section.”

“Yeah, me neither.”

“Wanna go tackle her?”

“After you.”

**_October 11th, 2018 at 12:29 pm; The Diner: A Booth in the Back_ **

“So, your plan is to make Nayeon and Jeongyeon be friends again by having us become friends with Jeongyeon,” Momo questioned, swirling her fry through the mayonnaise on her plate.

“Yup,” Mina replied with a proud grin. “We’ll just intertwine our friend groups until they have no choice but to socialize. It was easy for them to avoid each other when Jihyo was the only common element, but with more of us,” Mina shrugged. “They can only avoid each other so much.”

Momo chuckled as Mina leaned back in the booth and took a sip of her milkshake. She was clearly proud of her plan, and while Momo wasn’t sure it would work out, it was certainly better than nothing.

“Okay, I’ll think about it. No promises, but I’ll think about it.” was all she could give Mina for now. She loved the idea of the two of them having this secret mission between them, having planning lunches and sharing secret glances, but she needed to make sure it was for the best. Nayeon and Jeongyeon deserved that.

“Great, thank you, Momo,” Mina smiled at her, wrinkling her nose when she noticed her dipping sauce of choice. “I think that the only thing wrong with this plan is that I’d have to watch you tarnish food with that terrible excuse for a condiment.”

“Excuse me,” Momo gasped, bringing her free hand up to her chest. “How dare you slander my dipping sauce of choice when you drown everything in tomato smoothie?”

Mina laughed, the sound sending warmth through Momo’s chest, “Ketchup is a much more reputable sauce for fries than mayo, Momo.”

“Now you listen here, Myoui,” Momo countered, jabbing her fry in Mina’s direction, “mayo and I have been through a lot together, and we’re going to stay together. Nothing you or anyone else with a wrong opinion can say will change that.”

Mina looked at her with a raised eyebrow, “Do people often tell you to give up on mayo? Because no one ever tells me to leave ketchup behind.”

“Sana used to,” Momo answered, bringing her smoothie to her lips, “but she hasn’t for a couple years. She’s accepted it by now.”

“If Sana hasn’t been able to get through to you, I don’t think I stand a chance,” Mina said, sighing dramatically. “I guess I’m just stuck with you and your mayo forever.”

Momo’s heart jumped. “Forever?”

“Of course,” Mina responded, as she leaned forward in her seat. “That’s what the ‘F’ in ‘BFF’ is for.”

Momo could feel the words jumping around her brain, could feel her tongue beginning to shape syllables. She could feel herself about to confess or ask Mina out, or do something else ridiculous, so she stuffed the few remaining fries she had into her mouth.

“Momo,” Mina said in between laughter, “you are so weird.”

Momo just smiled and continued chewing, confident that she had avoided doing something ridiculous just now. They continued talking until they had to go, but not before Mina bought her another smoothie. Once again, Momo spared a thought to the idea that her attraction to Mina was extended by gifts of food.

She kind of hoped it was. Otherwise, she was just helplessly in love with her best friend and unable to stop feeling that way.

Which would suck. A lot.

 **_October 28_ ** **_th_ ** **_, 2018 at 8:13 pm; Yoo Jeongyeon’s House: The Middle of the Bed_ **

Momo had thought she had her day planned out pretty well. She was going to get up, head into the studio for a workshop that would take her until 7:30. Then, she was going to shower and head home, collapsing into bed after eating dinner.

She did not plan on having a conversation with a mopey Yoo Jeongyeon about how they both had feelings for girls they didn’t really want to have feelings for. One shared bonding session about the fear of rejection and a making of dinner plans later and here she was, lying on Jeongyeon’s bed full of delicious food.

“If things don’t work out for us with Mina and Nayeon, can I just marry you instead? Your dad is like, really good at cooking.”

Jeongyeon stopped her pacing and turned to face Momo. “That kind of attitude is not going to get us the girl,” Jeongyeon exclaimed, waving her hand at the whiteboard behind her, “but yeah sure. I’d say Jihyo has first dibs but that girl has been weirdly giggly lately.”

“Now,” Jeongyeon uncapped the marker in her hand and began writing on the board, “how do we go about doing this?”

“Well,” Momo rolled over onto her stomach for a better view, letting out a snort when she saw what Jeongyeon had written on the board, “for starters, we never tell them that we called this ‘The Big Gay Planning Session.’ Second, I think we each need a different approach.”

Jeongyeon acknowledged her words with a hum and drew a line down the center of her white board. On one side she wrote ‘Mina’ and on the other ‘Nayeon’.

“Okay, so your plan is easy.” Jeongyeon wrote ‘Ask her out’ underneath the Mina column. “Mine less so,” she continued, writing ‘Build a time travel device’ under the Nayeon column.

“Absolutely not,” Momo exclaimed, standing up and making her way to Jeongyeon. “I can’t just ask her out! You think I haven’t thought of that?”

“Oh I’m positive you have thought of it,” Jeongyeon responded, stretching her arm above her head so Momo couldn’t get at the marker. “However, I don’t think you’ve actually sat down and planned it out step by step.”

Momo halted in her quest for the marker as she considered Jeongyeon’s words. She supposed they were kind of true. She had always just had the vague ideas of ‘a confession’ and ‘asking her out’ in the back of her mind.

She narrowed her eyes at a now smirking Jeongyeon. “Fine,” she replied, “but you don’t get to get away with just putting time machine under Nayeon’s column. We’ll take turns. You put one under mine and I put one under yours.”

She stuck out her hand, “well?”

Jeongyeon considered her for a second before dropping her arm and shaking Momo’s hand. “Deal.”

“Excellent,” Momo said as she snatched the marker from Jeongyeon’s palm. “Now, let me give you a good idea or two.”

Ten minutes later, they had a board full of ideas, and Momo felt slightly more hopeful about her chances. She eyed Nayeon’s side of the board, wondering if she could fit the words “Dress up like a carrot” in between “Dramatic serenade” and “Pay Chaeyoung and Dahyun $11.50 to come up with a romantic rap.”

“You should ask her out tomorrow,” Jeongyeon said, interrupting her musings. “You said you two are going out after school already, might as well do it then.”

Momo froze. “I don’t really think that’s a good idea. I mean what if I get sick tomorrow,” she coughed lightly, “I haven’t been feeling well lately.”

Jeongyeon rolled her eyes and pointed a finger at Mina’s side of the board, under which Jeongyeon had written the words “Be Brave”.

“You know the core of your issue is that you’re afraid, which I completely get, trust me. If Mina feels about you how I think she might, she won’t care how you ask her out.”

“I know. I’m just scared.”

“Yeah. Me too.”

“Wanna help me choreograph an interpretive dance routine?”

“You threw a pillow at me when I suggested that!”

“Yeah, but that was before I got sad thinking about other things.”

“Oh touché. Let’s party.”

**_October 29th, 2018 at 4:14 pm; The Diner: A Booth in the Back_ **

She could see Jeongyeon’s advice in her head, had been repeating the words in her mind for the last hour. “Be brave, Momo.”

Yeah, well, if you asked Momo, it was easier to be brave when the girl you were about to ask out wasn’t sitting in front of you looking beautiful and giving you a smile that made your stomach flutter. Mina had her hair up in a ponytail, and a lock of her hair had gotten lose.

All Momo could think about was reaching across the table and tucking the escaped hair behind Mina’s ear. Mina would probably smile at her, gums on full display, and she would feel a flutter and.

“You okay, Momo,” Mina asked, concern in her voice. “You haven’t even had any of your milkshake yet. Is something wrong?”

“No! Everything is fine,” Momo insisted. “I was just thinking about stuff.”

“Okay,” Mina replied. “Well, I actually have something to talk to you about.”

“Wait. Wait. I have something to say first. I’m going to be brave now.” Momo cringed the moment she finished speaking. ‘I’m going to be brave now.’ Who the hell says that out loud to another person they’re about to confess to? This was already going downhill.

“Momo,” Mina prompted. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yes. I mean no. Well, I mean yes but also no. I’m trying to ask you out and tell you how much I like you, but I keep stumbling over my words.”

Momo slapped her hand over her mouth and screwed her eyes shut, a muffled “Oh my god” escaping. She could not believe that this is how this happened. After years, _years_ of pining and hoping, of imagining how this might go, _this_ is what she does? God, Mina was never going to date her now.

Speaking of Mina, Momo opened her eyes, prepared for the worst. What she saw nearly made her faint. Mina was sitting there, cheeks flushed red, hand clutching her chest, and smiling like someone had just told her the zoo was giving away free penguins.

“You like me? Romantically,” Mina questioned, a tremor to her voice that Momo didn’t know how to decipher.

_Be brave, Momo._

She straightened up in her seat and dropped her hand to the table, “Yes. I have for years. You’re amazing, Mina, and I don’t want to risk our friendship. That comes first, but I had to take a chance, you know?”

This was it. The moment that had haunted Momo’s thoughts for years. For ages she had been standing at a fork in the road, and now that she’d made her decision, she had to deal with the consequences. Her heartbeat felt like it was echoing through her entire body. She was painfully aware of every surface she was touching, and her eyes were locked onto Mina’s face. Whatever would come of this, she wouldn’t forget a thing.

“Yeah, I do,” Mina replied, beginning to laugh. “Because I was going to ask you out just now.”

Momo felt like she had just gotten slapped in the face. “You like me too?”

“I do.”

“In that case,” and Momo couldn’t stop the rush of joy that was flooding her body if she tried, “Myoui Mina, will you do me the honor of going on a date with me? There’s this great park nearby, and the weather is lovely today.”

“Hirai Momo,” Mina started, standing up and offering Momo a hand, “I would be absolutely honored.”

Momo grabbed Mina’s hand, lacing their fingers together once they were standing. They stood for a few seconds, just grinning at each other, before the clatter of silverware reminded Momo that they were standing in a diner.

Momo squeezed Mina’s hand, trying to convey how happy she was without shouting in public. She went to pull them towards the door when something struck her, and she stopped suddenly. “I really want to go to the park with you, but I think we should pay first.”

She heard Mina giggle from behind her, “Good idea. My ideal first date with you is not in a prison cell.”

They settled their bill and all but tumbled out of the diner, giggling and stealing glances at each other as they stepped outside. Once again, Momo found herself standing still and just looking at Mina. This felt like a dream. She could look at Mina and know that she returned her feelings.

She lifted the hand not entangled with Mina’s and reach up to tuck that loose piece of hair behind Mina’s ear, her hand lingering once she was done.

“Momo,” Mina murmured, as her hand slid delicately over Momo’s wrist, fingers leaving goosebumps in their wake.

“Mhmm,” Momo acknowledged as she swept her thumb over Mina’s cheek.

“Can I kiss you?”

Momo swore she felt her heart stop. She licked her lips, suddenly aware of the fact that she hadn’t put on lip balm that morning. She didn’t miss the way Mina’s eyes followed the motion.

“Only if I can kiss you too,” Momo responded quietly as she slid her hand around to the back of Mina’s neck, fingers toying with the loose hairs she found there. Mina just smiled, moving forward to meet Momo halfway in a kiss that had apparently been years in the making.

Later, when recounting the story to Jeongyeon and Sana, they would both tease her about how she described the feeling of finally kissing Mina. They both thought she was being over dramatic.

And yet.

Momo would swore it felt like she was flying.

**_October 29th, 2018 at 8:03 pm; Hirai Momo’s House: The Front Porch_ **

“I can’t believe it took us this long to confess.”

“I can. I was too afraid of losing you to say anything.”

“That’ll never happen, Momoring. I can promise you that.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow, then?”

“You definitely will.”

“Goodnight, Mina.”

“Goodnight, Momo.”

**_August 13th, 2019 at 10:49 pm; Kim Dahyun’s House: The Driveway_ **

“Momo, we have to go,” Mina whispered, lightly tugging at her sleeve.

“I know, I know. I just. I don’t want to say goodbye.”

“You already said goodbye, remember? Everyone cried.”

“Yeah, but now I have to walk away.”

“It’s not forever, you’ll be back in a few months.”

Momo sighed and jammed her hands into her pocket, knowing Mina was right but not wanting to acknowledge it. She wanted to stay here.

She could see her friends from her spot at the end of Dahyun’s driveway and wished more than anything that she could remember this scene perfectly. She’d give anything to freeze them all as they are now, just so she could linger in the moment longer.

She wanted to sit by the fire pit with Nayeon, Jeongyeon, and Jihyo, wanted to listen to them tease and prod and poke each other, all with an undercurrent of undeniable affection. She wanted to look across the fire and exchange an eye roll Chaeyoung and a teasing glance with Tzuyu, who would undoubtedly be gazing at Jihyo. She wanted to go sit on their side and listen to them whisper about their plan to prank Dahyun.

Dahyun who was currently trying, and failing, to fix the faerie lights she had spent the morning putting up. Granted, she would probably have better luck if Sana wasn’t constantly pulling her into her arms, but she didn’t seem to be complaining.

And Sana.

She wanted to walk over to her best friend, tell her to pack her bags, and demand that she travel with her across the country to her new school. Almost her entire life it had been the two of them. Sana and Momo. Momo and Sana. Together through anything.

Momo’s flight left at 4:03 am tomorrow morning, and she knew that if she had second thoughts right before boarding, there was one person she could call who would always pick up.

Though, Momo mentally acknowledged as she turned to face her girlfriend, Mina would certainly try to be helpful. It wasn’t her fault she was incoherent with less than 8 hours of sleep.

She pulled Mina into her arms, laughing at the surprised squeak that she let out.

“I’m going to miss you.”

“Momo, I’m sleeping over tonight. You don’t have to miss me yet.”

“I’m still going to miss you.”

“I know. I’m going to miss you too. Don’t forget about me when you’re winning awards and wowing the world, okay?”

“I couldn’t forget about you if I tried, and trust me, I tried.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too. Now come on. You’ve made me sad and I need to be snuggled.”

“Aye, aye, captain”

“Dork.”

“Your dork.”

“Always.”

**_December 12th, 2023 at 11:30 pm; Momo and Mina’s Apartment: The Right Side of the Bed_ **

If someone had asked Momo 8 years ago whether or not she'd one day be lying in bed in her new apartment next to the love of her life, who also happened to be Myoui Mina, she would've told them that it would never happen, that Mina seemed set on having her heart set on other people.

If someone had asked Momo 8 years ago whether or not she thought she'd ever be lying next to a sleeping Mina wondering when she should use the ring she had tucked into a sock in her drawer this week or the next, she would've told them they were off their rocker. 

And yet.

**_December 12th, 2023 at 11:30 pm; Momo and Mina’s Apartment: The Left Side of the Bed_ **

If someone had asked Mina 7 years ago who her favorite person in the world was, she would’ve responded without hesitation. If you had asked her 7 years ago who she had a crush on, she would’ve blushed and refused to answer, but would’ve known who. Seven years ago, the answers to those questions were not the same.

If you had asked her the same thing 6 years ago, she still wouldn’t have answered the question, but this time the answer was the same for both. If she had been willing to speak, she would’ve told you that she had made the cliché mistake of falling for her best friend.

Momo had seemed like a dream, sometimes, this gorgeous, kind, funny, smart, dream that Mina had the pleasure of being best friends with. And one that she didn’t stand a chance with. She tried several times over the years to express interest: one-on-one hangouts, invites to lunch with just the two of them, special presents.

None of it stuck, and sometimes the only thing stopping her from complete hopelessness was Sana’s prodding. And sometimes Momo would even look at her in a way that reignited that hope, eyes warm and welcoming. Sometimes she’d blush, uncharacteristically shy when Mina hugged her or kissed her on the cheek. But. Nothing seemed to stick. Until it did.

And here she was. Feigning sleep in Momo’s arms as she thought about her plans for tomorrow. Thought about how excited Jeongyeon had been when Mina had told her about her plans, how she had teased Mina about copying her idea but on a bigger scale. Remembered how Sana had burst into tears and then started inexplicably laughing when Mina told her she was going to propose

Remembered how Chaeyoung had called dibs on painting a wedding portrait and suggested some locations in Europe if they wanted a destination wedding. Remembered how Dahyun had screamed so loudly she woke up her roommates, both of whom had finals in the morning. Remembered telling Tzuyu during one of her visits and being wrapped up in a hug that left her breathless as the younger girl squealed in her ear.

Remembered how she had told both Nayeon and Jihyo at the same time and had to deal with tears and teasing from both of them. They didn’t let go of her arms for an hour, and both fought over who got to treat Mina to lunch as a “pre-engagement present”.

Remembered the discussion they had about marriage, discussed it when talking about Jeongyeon’s “promise ring that is super not an engagement ring”. Remembered how shy Momo had been when she admitted that she didn’t have the same hang-ups about them being too young that the other girls did.

Remembered the day she had decided she was going to propose. It had been one of Momo’s performances, and like always, it took her breath away. Watching Momo dance, watching the way her body seemed brought to life by music, always made Mina feel like she was watching something special, something unique. It filled her with joy watching Momo do something she loved, made her feel like she was floating.

She felt the same way when Momo smiled at her, focused and so full of love that Mina sometimes wondered how she got so lucky. She wanted that feeling for the rest of her life, and she would do her best to make sure she got it.

**_January 2nd, 2010 at 1:03 pm; Kobe Elementary: The Playground_ **

“Hey are you okay?” A voice spoke, startling her. Mina raised her head to see who was speaking to her and saw a vaguely familiar girl standing above her, looking down with a frown.

“It’s recess,” the other girl continued, throwing her arms up into the air, “why are you crying?”

Mina roughly wiped some of her tears away with her sleeve and began to stand up, “I’m not crying.”

The other girl just looked at her and pointed at her face, “I’m not dumb! Why are you sad?”

Mina fidgeted with her shirt sleeve and dropped her gaze the asphalt, “I’m new and I don’t have any friends and some kids made fun of me.”

“Is that it,” the other girl asked.

Mina’s head shot up in surprise. Was this girl also here to make fun of her? How did that not seem like a big deal?

The sight she saw before her surprised her even more. The other girl was standing before her with her hand outstretched and a grin on her face, “My name is Hirai Momo! I’m a 4th grader at Kobe Elementary, and I’m playing jump rope with my best friend Sana. Wanna join? We can double-dutch!"

“You want to play with me?” Mina was hesitant. Those other kids seemed nice too, before they decided making fun of her was a better way to spend their free time.

“Yeah! And be your friend! C’mon, shake my hand so we can go,” Momo’s smile was wide now, and she was shaking her hand up and down in front of Mina. “I promise we’re really nice, and if anyone is mean to you, I’ll just kick them. I dance, so my legs are really strong.”

“You dance,” Mina questioned excitedly, reaching out to clasp Momo’s hand, “me too!”

“No way! Now you definitely gotta come with me,” Momo grabbed Mina’s hand and began pulling her over to the other side of the playground.

“You’re going to have a lot of fun, I promise. Actually, wait,” Momo stopped suddenly, Mina almost running into her back. “What’s your name?”

“Oh. Myoui Mina,” Mina responded.

“Awesome! That’s a really pretty name,” Momo continued as she began pulling them somewhere once again.

“Sana is going to love your name too! It’ll be great.”

And it was.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading this! I had a lot of fun writing it. Again, if you wanna check out the au you can find it at 2yeonaus on twitter. Heads up: The main ship of the au is indeed 2yeon, so if you're just here for The Good Ship MIMO, be prepared.
> 
> And that's all folks. Until next time.


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